Magic Offseason Finances Update

[pepe1991]

Otherwise, we will have the same problem Boston had this summer

Not really though. Boston had paid the luxury tax four years in a row and were about to get absolutely hammered by the repeater tax.

There's a world where the Magic don't even pay the luxury tax this year and next year will be their first year in the tax. It's not the same thing.

Then they will pay a pretty significant tax bill in 26-27, but by 27-28 you have Suggs down to just 15.8% of the cap and are paying your top 4 guys about 86-87% of the cap. Very doable.

Depending, if cap only goes up 7% again in 27-28 than they are screwed.

In that scenario, they would be near capped out on 4 men.

I'm also not very sure how they will retain Black if somebody goes balls out and offers him some 4 years , $100M type deal.

[OrlandoDream]

Otherwise, we will have the same problem Boston had this summer

Not really though. Boston had paid the luxury tax four years in a row and were about to get absolutely hammered by the repeater tax.

There's a world where the Magic don't even pay the luxury tax this year and next year will be their first year in the tax. It's not the same thing.

Then they will pay a pretty significant tax bill in 26-27, but by 27-28 you have Suggs down to just 15.8% of the cap and are paying your top 4 guys about 86-87% of the cap. Very doable.

In hindsight, that suggs the contract de-escalating each year is a game-changer move by Weltman. He packed up the highest paid year ($35) on 25-26 season which is last one before Paolos max kicks in.

I still expect one of all of JI, Jett, and Wendell to be gone before the end of next year. Even though its just two years that loaded WCJr contract goes up to 18mil then 20mil on 26-27 is gonna kill us. Trade him while he still has value.

[flying_mollusk]

Copying this from another thread:

So: the Magic is on the 2026/27 books for:
Franz Wagner 41,754,636
Paolo Banchero 41,250,000
Desmond Bane 39,446,090
Jalen Suggs 32,400,000
Wendell Carter 18,102,000
Jonathan Isaac 14,500,000
Anthony Black 10,105,996
Goga Bitadze 7,608,696
Jett Howard 7,337,655
Tristan da Silva 3,991,200
Jase Richardson 3,132,360
Noah Penda 2,150,917

Total: 221,779,550

Seems like the prime place to save money is offloading Isaac, Carter, and Howard. We will see what happens with Goga and Moe, but it seems like you can get cheap quality guys in this new cap age.

The Anthony Black situation is going to be interesting. If he takes off and Suggs again has an injury riddled season, I see us extending Black and replacing Suggs with him. If he takes off and Suggs is healthy and good, we could be talking about title level contention, so we can have that conversation later.

[orlando_joe]

Otherwise, we will have the same problem Boston had this summer

Not really though. Boston had paid the luxury tax four years in a row and were about to get absolutely hammered by the repeater tax.

There's a world where the Magic don't even pay the luxury tax this year and next year will be their first year in the tax. It's not the same thing.

Then they will pay a pretty significant tax bill in 26-27, but by 27-28 you have Suggs down to just 15.8% of the cap and are paying your top 4 guys about 86-87% of the cap. Very doable.

for sure getting under tax this season would be big if could move jett and goga for player like houston and 3rd string center like wolf or huff would get real close

[cedric76]

Copying this from another thread:

So: the Magic is on the 2026/27 books for:
Franz Wagner 41,754,636
Paolo Banchero 41,250,000
Desmond Bane 39,446,090
Jalen Suggs 32,400,000
Wendell Carter 18,102,000
Jonathan Isaac 14,500,000
Anthony Black 10,105,996
Goga Bitadze 7,608,696
Jett Howard 7,337,655
Tristan da Silva 3,991,200
Jase Richardson 3,132,360
Noah Penda 2,150,917

Total: 221,779,550

Seems like the prime place to save money is offloading Isaac, Carter, and Howard. We will see what happens with Goga and Moe, but it seems like you can get cheap quality guys in this new cap age.

The Anthony Black situation is going to be interesting. If he takes off and Suggs again has an injury riddled season, I see us extending Black and replacing Suggs with him. If he takes off and Suggs is healthy and good, we could be talking about title level contention, so we can have that conversation later.

No need to offload, no matter what we do, we ll be above the 2nd apron next season which is not bad as we ll drop below the 2nd apron during the 2027-2028

Being above the 2nd apron is not bad if you don't stay there for too long and are contender

Jeff did a great job with our salaries

Extend the man

[drsd]

Copying this from another thread:

So: the Magic is on the 2026/27 books for:
Franz Wagner 41,754,636
Paolo Banchero 41,250,000
Desmond Bane 39,446,090
Jalen Suggs 32,400,000
Wendell Carter 18,102,000
Jonathan Isaac 14,500,000
Anthony Black 10,105,996
Goga Bitadze 7,608,696
Jett Howard 7,337,655
Tristan da Silva 3,991,200
Jase Richardson 3,132,360
Noah Penda 2,150,917

Total: 221,779,550

Seems like the prime place to save money is offloading Isaac, Carter, and Howard. We will see what happens with Goga and Moe, but it seems like you can get cheap quality guys in this new cap age.

The Anthony Black situation is going to be interesting. If he takes off and Suggs again has an injury riddled season, I see us extending Black and replacing Suggs with him. If he takes off and Suggs is healthy and good, we could be talking about title level contention, so we can have that conversation later.

No need to offload, no matter what we do, we ll be above the 2nd apron next season which is not bad as we ll drop below the 2nd apron during the 2027-2028

Being above the 2nd apron is not bad if you don't stay there for too long and are contender

Jeff did a great job with our salaries

Extend the man

Well: Orlando needs to get to a 14 man roster. The above is without Jones and M-Wagner, so they are gone. And to gain the other two players, one larger salary needs to be traded. Howards' 7M traded for three vet-min scrubs get the Magic to a roster. But no matter what, next year's team will not be as deep as this year's team. (and again, it softens from 2027/28; it's just next year that there is a pinch).

[Orlando Dawg]

That list delete Jett Howard as 2025-26 is his last year as a Magic
Add Mo Wagner it’s 100% certain he will resign with bird rights in 2026
Add Tyus Thomas or ring chaser for the min
Add Caleb Houstan or ring chaser for the min
Add a 2nd round rookie maybe

Magic are allowed to do it because it’s only money and no triggers will happen next offseason. They can pay their bird rights players and league minimums and possibly a draft pick

[bigdogdylan5]

Copying this from another thread:

So: the Magic is on the 2026/27 books for:
Franz Wagner 41,754,636
Paolo Banchero 41,250,000
Desmond Bane 39,446,090
Jalen Suggs 32,400,000
Wendell Carter 18,102,000
Jonathan Isaac 14,500,000
Anthony Black 10,105,996
Goga Bitadze 7,608,696
Jett Howard 7,337,655
Tristan da Silva 3,991,200
Jase Richardson 3,132,360
Noah Penda 2,150,917

Total: 221,779,550

Seems like the prime place to save money is offloading Isaac, Carter, and Howard. We will see what happens with Goga and Moe, but it seems like you can get cheap quality guys in this new cap age.

The Anthony Black situation is going to be interesting. If he takes off and Suggs again has an injury riddled season, I see us extending Black and replacing Suggs with him. If he takes off and Suggs is healthy and good, we could be talking about title level contention, so we can have that conversation later.

No need to offload, no matter what we do, we ll be above the 2nd apron next season which is not bad as we ll drop below the 2nd apron during the 2027-2028

Being above the 2nd apron is not bad if you don't stay there for too long and are contender

Jeff did a great job with our salaries

Extend the man

I am really tired of people who talk about basketball for a living talking out of their ass about the aprons. One guy literally said we can only keep Paolo Franz Suggs Bane together for 2 more years. Like everything I am seeing is false. Yes we are projected to be in second apron next year but just barely. If Paolo makes all nba it will get tighter no doubt and we might have to choose between Tyus Jones and Mo but then we could easily be back under the 2nd apron in 2027-2028 we probably will be second apron again hoping to get under it in the 2028-2029 season. It’s not going to be easy and hard choices will need to be made but it’s doable.

Isaac thing this year is going to be interesting. The magic now have an incentive to push him to his limits of how much he can play and we should do that. It’s now becoming a win win either he plays awesome and we keep him or he gets hurt and his contract becomes not guaranteed. I guess he could play terrible and stay healthy but I think that is a very unlikely outcome